Best Ice Coffee? Thoughts on Dare Cold Press / Barista Bros Ice Coffees?

So, I was at Coles yesterday and got one of these for $2 as it was on special and it seemed alright to try.

The strong latte option was what I picked and good lord it tastes terrible.
It actually tastes like when you just put a teaspoon of cheap freeze dried coffee in water with a bit of milk.

Should've got the Barista Bros Ice Coffee for $2.50 as I am quite sure it would have been better, although I haven't tried it.

My question is: How did you find both of these and which one do you prefer?

Seeing as it has been decided that both of these are quite bad - New question: which is your favourite ice coffee, where can you get it and how much is it?

Poll Options

  • 76
    Dare Cold Press Ice Coffee
  • 16
    Barista Bros Ice Coffee

Comments

  • +15

    It actually tastes like when you just put a teaspoon of cheap freeze dried coffee in water with a bit of milk.

    I'm pretty sure that's actually how they make it….

    • +2

      It's weird how the Dare normal ice coffee as sugary and unhealthy as it is, actually tastes better than this though. Cheaper too :)

      • It tastes good because it has quite a lot of sugar in it. Take out the sugar and it'd taste pretty bad.

      • Reigniting an old forum,

        I find the dare single and double shot taste pretty terrible but the triple espresso I tried just now taste very good, exceeded my expectation. I used to love ice break ones as its real coffee, but I have to buy the ice break again just to compare

    • +11

      Don't forget 16 teaspoons of sugar

      • +3

        Actually the cold press variant has < 2 teaspoons iirc. Probably why OP wasn't a huge fan.

        • Lol it has one teaspoon, and I have my normal hot coffee without sugar. So I bought this thinking it would be better than that sh#t you get offered at that person's place. Sadly, it wasn't.

  • +3

    have you tried the baileys ice coffee? Im a big fan

    • +17

      have you tired irish coffee without the coffee?

      • +1

        Just Irish?

    • Haven't seen it, where do you get it?

      • Its at coles, Bit pricey

        • Hmm, I'll have to look out for it! Is it just in the fridge with all the others?

        • @pennypincher98: Yeah, Normally out of stock though. It defiantly tickled my fancy though

        • +4

          @dylanando:

          It defiantly tickled my fancy

          Lol what was so rebellious about it? ;)

          Yeah, shame indeed - I haven't seen it I don't think.

        • @pennypincher98: I thought it hate a slight alcohol taste, and I’m down for that

  • +29

    Barista Bros is crap because it's long-life milk

    • Ugh… Why do they use long life milk? lol.

      • +28

        To be stored in vending machines, and because they're owned by Coke

        • -1

          Oh true I have seen it in vending machines, 2 for $6 at certain times of the day.
          I think Coke should personally just stay in the soft drink business and not try to be something they're not.

          Any recommendations?

        • +2

          @pennypincher98:

          WA - Masters Iced Coffee, does the trick for me :)

        • @Spackbace: First result:

          Lion Dairy & Drinks has recalled Farmers Union Iced Coffee, Masters Strawberry Milk, Masters Mocha, Masters Iced Coffee Light, Masters Chocolate, Masters Double Shot Iced Coffee and Pura Hilo Milk from Woolworths (Masters Iced Coffee Light only), IGA's and convenience stores  in WA due to microbial (coliforms) contamination. Food products contaminated with (coliforms) may cause illness if consumed. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice. The products can be returned to the place of purchase for a full refund.

          This stuff?

        • +2

          @pennypincher98:

          Yep, that's the one!

        • +1

          @pennypincher98: Coca Cola Amital recently bought out Feral to get into craft beer…sigh

        • @pennypincher98:

          "and not try to be something they're not".

          They kind of already ARE.

          Powerade, Vitamin Water, Smart Water. Coke does all kinds of drinks these days.

        • @FriendlyPhillip:
          Good thing I don't drink Powerade, vitamin water or smart water (what even is this!?! Hahaha) :)
          Yeah I agree.

      • +1

        So they can store and ship it without refrigeration. I guess taste doesn't count when the cost of production/supply is low enough to counter the less sales the taste brings.

    • +1

      Agreed. That UHT stuff is the pits.

    • I went to my local IGA and happened to notice that they were just on the shelf. In the same aisle as the freeze dried coffee, instant coffee, tea bags etc.

      Coles try to trick you into thinking they need refrigeration by putting it in the fridges out the front? Or maybe just wish to provide you with a cold ice coffee?

      • +1

        It's a more attractive impulse purchase in the fridge

  • +14

    Barista Bros is disgusting, so bad.

  • +21

    Dare Double Espresso is the best supermarket iced coffee by a significant margin… I've cut it out though, I've put on way too much weight from being hooked on the stuff!

    • +2

      Agreed, I love Dare Double Espresso but unfortunately so does everyone else so sometimes it's sold out :/ Then I go get a mocha instead.

      Not exactly the healthiest though :P

      • +6

        Get the Dare Raw, it's beautiful

        • +1

          Can't stand the raw unfortunately.

          Love the mocha. I saw the hazelnut latte in Woolies the other day for the first time and it took all of my self control not to buy them one.

        • @omgitzrick: Haha where have you been? Hazelnut Latte has been out for at least 6 weeks :) No temptation for me though, I don't like hazelnut lol

          Yeah the raw is not for me :)

        • @pennypincher98: I live in Alice Springs. We get stuff late :)

        • @omgitzrick: Oh lol, didn't see that. Correction: it arrived in Northern Sydney about 6 weeks ago :)
          The Woolies truck must only go out there once a month hahaha

        • +1

          +1 for Dare Raw. Last I checked it had the lowest sugar of all iced coffees.

          … that was a while ago tho, not sure how it compares with the new cold pressed ones coming out.

        • @omgitzrick:

          The Hazelnut is extremely sweet. I like Hazelnut flavouring, but I don't like my coffee sweet, so this was a once-off.

  • +38

    It’s a Farmers Union Ice Coffee or its nothing.

    • Seconded. And I'm not even from SA.

    • FUIC Strong. The sweetness us something to get used to though.

    • Just saw it in Coles (WA) today, grabbed one for tomorrow :)

      • -2

        And it tastes like shit :( not enough coffee, absolutely stuff all

    • +2

      Brutally sweet to me, I can't take how sweet it is, despite like the rest of it. Half the sugar and it would be legit

      • Strong has less sugar.

      • Yep, very sweet milk with a hint of coffee, perfect for the crowd who order half-strength coffee's

    • +1

      Farmers Union Iced Coffee is so good that it outsells Coke 3 to 1.
      SA is the only place in the world where a milk drink is more popular than a cola.

  • +11

    The last time I tried a Dare I hated it coming from Farmers Union. I haven't tried either of the brands you mention.

    Now I prefer Ice Break on the rare occasions I drink Ice Coffee. Shit is diabetes, inflamation, weight gain and a serotonin crash in a in a bottle regardless of brand though I think. Very unhealthy for daily or regular consumers.

    • +4

      Diabetes, inflammation, weight gain and a serotonin crash in a bottle

      LOL could not agree with you more there. Unfortunately, I like ice coffee so I'll deal with the aftermath later :/

      Ice Break Double Strength is good, but weirdly enough I don't like their regular strength one all that much. Maybe I'm just in for a massive caffeine dose lol :P

    • +4

      Yeah, I gave up them for that reason too.

      Since getting a "proper" coffee machine at home I just iced lattes at home now - ice, cold milk and espresso shot. Make it in a Keep Cup if I want to drink it on the way to work.

      Used to do the same with the Nespresso too. Worked well.

      • +2

        Or get a cold brew jug. 100g of ground coffee makes 8 cups of coffee overnight. Just add ice and milk.

        • +2

          Cold brew is the shizzle. What beans do you use? I don't use a jug, I just fill a very large bowl with coffee and water, glad wrap on top and let it sit for a night (at least). Then I sift it in the morning and store it up to a week in plastic bottles.

        • +1

          @BargainCowboy: The jug fits in the fridge door nicely, which is the main reason why i use it! I've basically used random coffee beans i have at home from aero-pressing. Just started the cold brew thing a few weeks ago. I bought some Vittoria beans as an experiment (on sale Woolies $15/kg) and it's not offensive as cold brew.. :D

        • +1

          @Redang3lz:
          Wait for the 50% markdown on Lavazza.

      • Maybe it's just me, but I can never make a proper iced coffee? With and without expensive machinery :)

        While we are on the subject of getting it other ways then a bottle, 7-11 Ice Coffee is the absolute worst thing I have tasted. It's drinkable without its special ice cup (just chuck it in a regular coffee cup) but that's weird and people judge accordingly.

        • I'd take the 7-11 any day over the supermarket ones, at least it's real coffee, I can't see why you would prefer the instant supermarket varieties over it. Coldbrew is where it's at though, dead easy to make too.

          https://food52.com/blog/7317-how-to-make-cold-brewed-coffee

        • +1

          @tryagain: Is coldbrew dead easy to make on the bus or train though? How about at coles? The thing is if I can make my own coffee well enough to drink it in the morning, then I don't need it. I make coffee from sachets later in the day, but that's because I am functioning and can make it before I crash lol

          Me neither, but oh well. Had it the other day (at a busy CBD store) and couldn't finish it. But I think 7-11 coffee is better at places with less customers though.

        • +1

          @pennypincher98: With cold brew you can make batches that last a couple of weeks easily in the fridge, it would be too much of a PITA to do it everytime you wanted it but the beauty is that I make close to a litre in my perc at a time and that is pretty much a concentrate that is then watered down, I have a full auto that makes my morning coffee but in the afternoon when it's hotter it's the cold brew's time to come out and play. Did you use the liquid sugar sachets in the 7-11 Iced coffee, it would be pretty bitter if you didn't.

          edit. The other good thing about cold brew is that it isn't anywhere near as bitter as an espresso so you don't need much (or any) sugar.

        • +1

          @tryagain: 7 11 coffee is good, but their iced coffee consists of buying a cup half full of industrial ice (the round ice with the hole in it).

          Then you add coffee and milk from the machine.

          It's terrible. Too much water.

        • @Superannuation: I don't wait for all the ice to melt, mine doesn't last that long!

        • Don’t need super equipments. I don’t drink ice coffee but a few friends who visit me often wants ice coffee at my place.

          So I make do with Nestle Dolce Gusto machine because I can make cold coffee with it as well as hot.

          So I put ice and sugar in a tall glass first then use the machine to brew in the room temperature milk and coffee.

          My friends love it and want a few glasses every time they are at my place. Give it a try. :)

        • -1

          @tryagain: liquid sugar sachets? Not sure. Some people think that coffee tastes bitter with no sugar. I don't have sugar, and in my opinion a good coffee should never taste bitter.

          Hmm, I might try it but it still requires some level of motivation.

        • @pennypincher98: The liquid sugar is for the iced coffee to make it easier to dissolve, I don't sweeten my normal coffee but generally do an iced coffee. The supermarket ones just about all use heaps of it.

  • +11

    Dare Double Espresso for me as well or FUIC if there's nothing else.

    I had a bottle of Grinders cold brew ice-coffee the other day, which was great if you like black ice coffee. Turn out it's a concentrate that you're supposed to water down, not neck the whole thing in one sitting. Really nice, anyway. And now only two more sleeps until Xmas!

    • +1

      OzBargain needs a haha react.

      • +2

        Yes!! Idea of the century! OzBargain needs a "heart/love/great" react also for suggesting this ;)

  • +1

    I quite like 8 Bar Ice Coffee from Woolworths, maybe it's the packaging but I really like the flavour. Seems to be always out of stock though…

    • 8 Bar is now deleted, Apparently they've got something new coming soon

      • Oh what :(

        • +1

          They're at my local IGA too - might be at one near you?

          +1 for 8 Bar. Not so ridiculously sugary so tastes closer to a homemade one.

          That being said, you can make it at home. Store a few batches of black coffee in the fridge and add milk as you serve it.

    • Yeah I'm not so sure of a coffee that requires a trick to open when your not sitting at a table, otherwise your likely to spill some.

      The trick is don't open it more than half way.

      And nothing too special about the taste or texture for its premium price.

  • I normalley by some $2 ice coffee from woolies but noticed it went up 15c last week im sure it has got to do with the bottle collection kiosk.

    • Yeah it is.
      Yet we only get 10c back per bottle we recycle…

      Who's getting the extra 5c? Woolies? Ice coffee company (Dare I think)?

      • +1

        1.5cents goes to gst

  • +3

    Oh god. Now we have ice coffee connoisseurs. Regardless of brand, its just trashy coffee with trashy milk and a nice overdose of refined sugar.

    Buy your latte, leave on desk for a few hours. Cold coffee done. Yum!

    Buy an espresso. Top up with cold unhomogenised milk. Cold coffee done. Yum!

    • Lol I'm quite sure this is the method behind 7-11 Ice Coffees.

      It's not all trashy coffee or trashy milk, and the cold press apparently only has 1 teaspoon of sugar but the rest are overloaded with sugar :)

  • +1

    South Australia is the only place in the world where a flavoured milk drink out sells coca-cola and that milk drink is Farmers Union Low Fat Iced Coffee.

    • +2

      'Low Fat' FUICs up the acronym

      • Let's be done with the 'Iced' as well, let's go get FUCed up

  • +1

    Iced Coffee, dammit! Iced Coffee!

  • +1

    The I don't mind the 711 iced coffee, I put an extra shot in and no sugar. Good for $2

  • 8Bar triple shot, $3 at Coles and Woolies

    • Sounds great, what varieties for want of a better word does it come in? And how big is the bottle? Triple Shot sounds exactly like what I need in the morning.

      • +2

        Latte, Double Shot and Triple Shot. Triple shot has a very slight 'cough medicine' flavour to it. They did make a normal 'single shot' but I haven't seen it for a long time. I assume everyone buys double or triple so they stopped making it. Latte = ass obviously. My local Woolies stopped carrying 8Bar but I live in NT and No. 1 selling Iced Coffee is Pausl Iced Coffee. 8Bar does not come in bottle it comes in a cup sealed with foil and a plastic lid like normal coffee. They are 300ml. I like them because I don't want to drink sugar anymore and while they still have sugar in them it's not as much and due to the smaller serving size you're getting half the amount of sugar that way too.

        • +1

          Oh I think I've seen these!! Yeah I'll give them a shot some time :)

          (Not sure whether to edit out the pun or just go with it)

      • mate you need more sleep if you are needing a triple shot coffee to get you going in the morning!

        • +1

          Exactly, I need more sleep. But sleep = time so I need more time.
          Don't we all?

    • -1

      I quite like 8bar, but hate the gimmicky packaging. Just give me a normal bottle!

  • +6

    +1 for Barista Bros tasting like long-life bin juice

    • You know what long life bin juice tastes like?

      • +2

        Maybe they're an Ibis?

    • You're making zero cents with that comment

  • +1

    Pauls Iced Coffee is the shit.

    Anyone else agree?

    • +1

      Absolutely. Nothing compares. Stopped buying them though cutting back my sugar in take as much as possible.

    • Is it a NT only thing? We don't have them in Victoria.

  • +1

    How much sugar though

  • +1

    Fleurieu Milk Company Iced Coffee.

    Not sure it's available outside of SA but for me it's the perfect balance of coffee and sweetness. If they're sold out then the only other good option is regular Farmers Union Iced Coffee but Fleurieu is stronger without the excessive sweetness of FUIC's Strong line.

  • +5

    Vietnamese iced coffee. It'll change your life.

    Can get it from vietnamese restaurants or bakeries.

    Cost about $3-$4.

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